Led by Mrs. Tina Winesett, 45 eighth-grade students at Pulaski County Middle School are taking part in the Plant the Moon Challenge.
The team is part of a global science experiment and research challenge to examine how vegetable crops can grow in lunar or Martian soil. Using real soil simulant from the University of Central Florida’s CLASS Exolith Lab, the team designed and is conducting a set of experiments using the simulant to grow crops for a future long-duration mission.
“I love making connections between the real world and the classroom,” Mrs. Winesett said. “I believe it increases student interest when they realize what they are learning can be applied to their lives. With this challenge, students have an incredible opportunity to be part of something much bigger than the class. They are conducting an experiment and sharing their data with NASA.”
Eighth grade student Robert LaBianco shared, “My favorite part of the Plant the Moon Challenge is growing stuff because I want to become a gardener one day. Eighth grader Payton Thomas said, “We love the fact that we might get to send plants to the moon.”
A panel of NASA scientists, program executives, and other dignitaries will determine Best in Show award winners. Their research will help NASA scientists understand how to use lunar soil to provide nutritious crops for future missions to the Moon or Mars.
Pulaski County Middle School is participating in the Plant the Moon Challenge through a partnership with six Space Grant Consortia. The partnership is a NASA-funded regional project to expand the reach of the challenge to underserved and underrepresented STEM students in the six partnering states: Virginia (lead), North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
The NASA Space Grant Regional Expansion Project builds on the Plant the Moon Challenge by providing additional support to educators, free lunar regolith simulant kits, teacher stipends, enhancement activities, special awards, and expanded educator professional development. The project is expected to engage more than 13,000 students in PTMC over the next three years.
The Plant the Moon Challenge is a program of the Institute for Competition Sciences. A special thank you to Old Dominion University and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium for funding this project for Mrs. Winesett and her students.
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